Comment by Peter Saunders READER SERVICE
Identifying your priorities
T
o learn more about you, our readers, we at Canadian Consulting Engineer recently joined forces with Annex Business Media’s other construction media brands—including Canadian Contractor, On-Site, Rock to Road, Glass Canada, Electrical Business, HPAC, Crane & Hoist Canada and Fenestration Review—and a team of professional researchers from Sterling Woods Group to interview and survey a broad sampling of our collective audience. An initial round of in-depth interviews helped inform the nature of the quantitative survey, which saw at total of 745 participants respond from across the brands (with a bulk representing this
" The insights gleaned will help us shape future editorial content and special projects." particular magazine's readership). The insights gleaned from these responses will help us shape future editorial content and special projects. Some of these insights confirmed the areas in which we’re meeting your needs. Your favoured media formats, for example, include print, email newsletters and webinars, all of which we continue to maintain among our core products. You prefer to read about industry news, project updates, regulations, codes and guidelines, rather than products, equipment and professional development. New to us, however, was a better understanding of some of the factors that drive you. Your firms’ top industry concerns, for example, include regulatory compliance, talent management and using innovation as a competitive advantage. Despite the economic impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, you are less concerned about disrupted supply chains and your firm’s financial performance in 4
CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER
Print and digital subscription inquiries or changes, please contact: Barb Adelt, Audience Development Manager Tel: (416) 510-5184 Fax: (416) 510-6875 email: badelt@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 EDITOR
simple terms of sales and profits. Analysis of the study’s results identified three statistically stable segments of industry professionals across all of the various construction media brands, each expressing its own personal professional motivations, business challenges and aspirations. The first segment, business leaders, includes many consulting engineers in executive positions at mid-size firms. Those of you who fall into this category tend to focus your efforts primarily on growing your business, mentoring your employees and fulfilling your firm's regulatory compliance obligations. The second segment, service leaders, is the contractor audience, including some readers of Canadian Consulting Engineer, but primarily those of Annex’s other brands. This segment is struggling with supply chain issues, among other business concerns. The third and final segment, dubbed ‘green up-and-comers,’ are primarily engineers in less senior roles who have a sharp focus on social issues and the environment. Many of the professionals in this group are choosing specifically to work on sustainability-centred projects in an effort to contribute to a better Canada for future generations. There is not much overlap between these segments. Most of you are represented in either the first or third category, as reflected in the business problems you seek to solve and how you envision the future of the construction industry. Knowing this, we at Canadian Consulting Engineer can strive to better meet your needs in the days to come. We already have some ideas ... stay tuned!
Peter Saunders (416) 510-5119 psaunders@ccemag.com SENIOR PUBLISHER
Maureen Levy (416) 510-5111 mlevy@ccemag.com MEDIA DESIGNER
Lisa Zambri EDITORIAL ADVISORS
Bruce Bodden, P.Eng., Gerald Epp, P.Eng., Chris Newcomb, P.Eng., Laurier Nichols, ing., Jonathan Rubes, P.Eng., Paul Ruffell, P.Eng., Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. ACCOUNT CO-ORDINATOR
Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 cfisher@annexbusinessmedia.com GROUP PUBLISHER
Paul Grossinger (416) 510-5240 pgrossinger@annexbusinessmedia.com COO
Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER
is published 6 times per year by Annex Business Media 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-6875 or (416) 442-2191 EDITORIAL PURPOSE: Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine covers innovative engineering projects, news and business information for professional engineers engaged in private consulting practice. The editors assume no liability for the accuracy of the text or its fitness for any particular purpose.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Canada, 1 year $66.00, 2 years $106.00. Single copy $8.50 Cdn + taxes. (HST 86717 2652 RT0001). United States $150.00 (CAD). Foreign $172.00 (CAD). PRINTED IN CANADA. Title registered at Trademarks Office, Ottawa. Copyright 1964. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner(s). Annex Privacy Officer: Privacy@ annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374. ISSN: 0712-4996 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital) POSTAL INFORMATION: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065710. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., Canadian Consulting Engineer, 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1. PRIVACY: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us. Tel: 1-800-668-2374, fax: 416510-6875 or 416-442-2191, e-mail: vmoore@annexbusinessmedia.com, mail to: Privacy Officer, 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1. Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Member of Magazines Canada
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January/February 2022